


(In)visible

by GoldenEmolga



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 06:11:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6041149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenEmolga/pseuds/GoldenEmolga
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when Ladybug and Chat Noir let down their walls and act more like themselves?  Does it help or hurt their relationship?  This is just my optimistic guess.  =)</p>
            </blockquote>





	(In)visible

**Author's Note:**

> Well, since this is for a Valentine's Day exchange, I figured I should put some romance. But as we all know, romance is never easy. And that's extra true for these two. And I wanted to add some more realistic drama to get a nice conversation going between our two heroes. Come one. Let's be real. Marinette kinda is a stalker. =P
> 
> Anyhow, I hope you like it! Writing for this fandom is hard, since the characters change how they interact based on the situation. I hope it's evident that, though this is largely Chat Noir/Ladybug that the interactions are, intentionally, closer to that of Adrien/Marinette. I'm sorry if I ruined the characters because of this! =(
> 
> Also, I'm hoping to, eventually, add the reverse perspectives for this, so that it becomes clear what Ladybug was thinking the whole time. Hopefully it is fairly straightforward without it though. Enjoy! And thank you in advance for the read! Comments and/or kudos are always appreciated. =)

_So here I am.  Sitting in the back of the classroom, where I probably deserve to be.  After two weeks, I’ve nearly gotten used to being back here.  At first, it was lonely, sitting by myself at this back table, glancing down at my best friend in the second row and the boy I was madly crushing on in the front row who, admittedly, was the reason I was now isolated up here at the back of the classroom._

_No, that isn’t true.  It’s her fault.  That blonde little princess who always gets what she wants.  Why does everyone always listen to her?  Why can she get away with whatever she wants?  Who does she think she is accusing me of being a stalker?!?_

_Okay.  So, truth be told, she isn’t exactly wrong.  I mean, yeah, the notebook detailing Adrien’s daily schedule and various behaviors in different settings that I’d spent weeks working on might give someone that impression, but come on!  What’s a girl to do when she’s utterly invisible to the guy she wants to notice her?!?_

_Well, Chloe didn’t have to go running off to the principal with my notebook and act like I was the crazy one.  Just because her daddy has all the pull he wants at this school doesn’t mean she should be the queen bee around here.  I mean, really, it’s ridiculous.  If she only knew…_

“Is that a no?”

Marinette snapped out of her mental ranting to see Adrien standing in front of her, the rest of the class already long gone.  He looked upset, but not in the same way that he had looked two weeks ago when all of this madness had started.  Marinette opened her mouth, prepared to start fumbling for words, as always when in his presence; instead, she came up with a better idea. 

_All I need to do is channel my inner Ladybug.  What do I have to lose at this point?  I might as well fess up and get this over with.  Ladybug wouldn’t hide in the back of the classroom forever.  She’d face this boy head-on._

_This sweet… adorable… handsome… kind… boy._

_Ugh._

“—to have bothered you,” Adrien was saying, already heading for the door.

“Wait!” Marinette finally managed, jumping to her feet, grabbing her bag, and catapulting herself over the desk to join Adrien halfway down the steps.  “What were you asking?”

Adrien seemed confused, presumably because he’d probably asked the girl whatever question he wanted an answer to multiple times and had received no signs of getting a response.  Or maybe he was shocked that Marinette hadn’t fallen on her face when she’d slid coolly over the table and jumped halfway down the stairs to catch up to him.

“Oh.  Well, I’d asked if you wanted to chat about what happened over some sweets.  I needed to pick up an order from your family’s bakery, and I figured…” Adrien trailed off, not wanting to say the next part, about how he probably assumed it would be less awkward to deal with the issue directly.

_Channel your inner Ladybug.  Channel your inner Ladybug.  She’s in there somewhere.  I think._

“Trying to win a girl over with sugar?  That’s so forward of you,” Marinette answered confidently.

_Too much Ladybug!  Too much Ladybug!!!_

Marinette glanced over her shoulder to see a stunned Adrien.  He didn’t look offended or anything.  Just caught off guard.  And Marinette kinda loved it.

_Hmm.  Maybe this is why Cat Noir likes to be so obnoxious all the time.  Just like it’s more fun to lead than to follow, I suppose it’s more fun to play than to be played with._

“I’m teasing,” Marinette tried, after Adrien failed to come up with a response after a few long seconds.

He shook his head, finally sighing, “It’s… okay.  You just reminded me… of this other girl.”

_Other girl?  Other girl?!?  I’m worse than invisible.  I don’t even matter!  There’s already some other girl that I’m getting compared to!  Why do I even bother?!?_

“Maybe you should go chat about what happened over some sweets with this ‘other girl’ then.  I have things to do,” Marinette responded without thinking.

She stormed out of the classroom but managed to regain her composure long enough to throw a look of regret over her shoulder at Adrien.

_There’s another girl, Marinette.  He hates you.  There’s no reason to keep fooling yourself into believing this will happen.  Besides, he deserves someone that isn’t a creepy stalker.  It’s time to let Adrien go._

_I’ve never seen her act like that.  I guess I should have known better than to bring it up just like that and expect things to go smoothly.  Then again, it’s not like I caused all of this awkwardness.  It was her fault.  She was the one who had every detail of my life mapped out._

_Then again, is it flattering?  Cat Noir would find it flattering.  And, if I were a good enough detective, I’d probably have the same sort of notebook about the comings and goings of Ladybug.  Hmm._

_Oh.  Speaking of her…_

“Ladybug, I could barely see you there.  Aren’t bugs supposed to, you know, prefer light over shadows?  That being said, uh, don’t go towards the light!” Cat Noir spouted dramatically before striking a pose, leaning on his staff, trying to be cool in front of his crush.

Ladybug didn’t answer.  She didn’t even glance his way.  Cat responded by taking a seat next to her in the shadow of the city’s big clock tower.

“Well, I guess this isn’t so bad.  Cats love to lurk in the shadows, after all.  You were just getting cozy somewhere you knew I’d like, isn’t that right?” Cat Noir tried again.

_Geez.  I wonder what her problem is today.  She’s not even telling me off.  Something must be wrong._

“Cat got your tongue?” he attempted again, sending a pitiful glance towards Ladybug.

_I wonder if it’s something I said.  No.  Couldn’t be.  I just got here._

After a full minute of complete silence, Cat Noir stood again, announcing, “You know, the point of patrolling the city for bad guys is, well, to patrol the city.  And look for bad guys.”

Still nothing.

_Ugh!!!  I can’t stand all these girls being mad at me!_

Cat fished around in his pocket before kneeling down next to Ladybug.

He extended his hand and asked almost sincerely, “Penny for your thoughts?”

Ladybug lifted her head and finally shifted her gaze away from her toes and to the coin on Cat Noir’s palm.

“Where did you find an American penny?  Or…  Why in the world do you have one in your pocket?  They’re worthless,” Ladybug finally answered with a raised eyebrow, taking the penny nonetheless.

_Yes!  It worked!  Haha.  I knew I had to pull that one out at an extra special time.  I was hoping she’d find it funnier, but at least I got something out of it._

“Oh come on.  You know I’ve been holding on to that one for weeks,” Cat Noir admitted, deciding to sit down again.

“This penny?” Ladybug asked, looking either confused or annoyed.

“Well, yeah that, but the joke as a whole.  Look.  That’s not the point,” Cat Noir mumbled.

“Because there isn’t a ‘point’ on a coin?  I mean, they are round,” Ladybug mused, rolling the coin between her thumb and index finger.

_Exactly._

“Exactly!  Wait.  No.  Umm…,” Cat paused, trying to remember where he had been going with this.  “I was just trying to get you to talk.  You know, you’re much more attractive when you’re sassy, even when it hurts my feelings.”

With a scoff, Ladybug admitted, “Maybe I don’t have it in me to be sassy right now.  Or to hurt your feelings.”

“How can you say that?  That’s who you are, isn’t it?  Sassy, condescending Ladybug must be in there somewhere,” Cat Noir said playfully.

“Not all the time,” Ladybug admitted, again turning her gaze back to her feet.

“What do you mean?” Cat asked, glancing at his ring to make sure he still had plenty of time to chat.

Ladybug responded by nodding towards his ring.

“Huh?  Oh.  You mean to say you’re different under the mask?” Cat guessed, leaning back on his hands and looking up at the night sky.

After a brief silence, Ladybug stated, “We can’t all be like you.”

“What?  You mean someone as ‘paw’-sitively ‘claw’-some as myself?” Cat responded arrogantly, smirking for good measure.

Ladybug looked his way again, rolled her eyes, and then returned her gaze to her shoes.

“Well, I disagree.  I think you’re ‘bug’-tastic!  Or, uh, ‘lady’-riffic!” Cat attempted, feeling much less successful with these adjectives.

“What does that even mean?  That I’m as insignificant as a bug?  Or that I ‘fight like a girl?’ Heh.  Thanks,” Ladybug responded harshly.

“You know I didn’t mean anything bad by it.  What I did mean is that we’re all cool in one way or another.  In fact, we’re all cool in lots of ways!  I mean, someone can impress you by being super nice one day, and then the next day that same person can turn around and impress you with their confidence and tenacity.  You’re the same, I’m sure.  You don’t have to be sassy all the time, I suppose, but it’s still a part of who you are.  You know what I mean?” Cat rambled before glancing back at Ladybug with a cheesy grin, realizing how over-the-top everything he’d just said was.

“No.”

“No?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?  You get it?”

“No.”

“Ugh.  Nevermind,” Cat Noir conceded, though he could have sworn that he saw Ladybug crack a smile, if only for an instant.

But then there was silence again.

_Guess I’d better just head out on my own.  Maybe I can find some trouble in town and get my mind off of this girl trouble._

“Cat Noir,” Ladybug prodded just as Cat stood up and prepared to leave.

“Yeah?” 

“Wanna grab some dinner by the river?” Ladybug asked, looking towards the water glistening in the distance.

_Did she just ask me out on a date?  Seriously?  Or…  Is she just messing with me?  She does that sometimes.  Do I ask?  Or do I just accept?  Gah!_

“Yes?  More than anything?” Cat Noir responded instantly, though he failed to sound grateful because of his disbelief.

“You sound unsure.  You don’t have to.  I just figured—”

“I want to!  I want to!  I’m just so surprised.  To hear that.  Coming from you.  To me.”

“Well, it seems that I’m just full of surprises today,” Ladybug murmured so quietly that Cat was unsure if he’d heard her correctly.

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry about it.  Let’s go before I change my mind,” Ladybug stated, standing for the first time and looking like her usual, confident self.

Cat Noir smiled and admitted, “You know, sometimes you remind me of this other girl I know.  Cool or melancholic one moment, and then the next, you’re back to being on top of the world, in charge of it all.”

Cat looked at Ladybug but realized he had gravely misspoken when he saw the anger in Ladybug’s eyes.

_Oh no.  What?  What did I say this time?  Stupid Cat!  Keep your big mouth shut!  This may have been your only shot!!!_

“I’m sorry!  I’m sorry!  What did I say now?” Cat Noir begged, searching her face for an answer.

After a brief pause, Ladybug spoke, spite evident in her tone, “I remind you of someone else, huh?  How about you just—”

_No.  Not again._

“No.  Let’s talk over dinner.  There’s so much I want to know about you.  No one else.  I just have to make these comparisons because I’m guessing about who you truly are.  But I don’t want to do that anymore.  I want to know the real you.  That’s all I’ve wanted since I first met you,” Cat interrupted, desperately pleading his case.

“I don’t believe you!  I’m invisible under the mask anyways!  As soon as you find that out, you’ll lose all interest in me,” Ladybug was saying, though she seemed unsure of her words, like they weren’t even directed at Cat Noir himself, like they were meant for someone else.

“Well, all I can tell you is the truth.  It’s up to you whether or not you choose to hear it,” Cat replied calmly.  “The truth that I want you to hear is this:  I see you for who you are, and I admire everything I see.  If there is more to know, then you can be sure that I will admire everything else as well.”

“You don’t know that.  You can’t possibly know that.”

“I can.  You’re just going to have to trust me.”

_This is it._

Cat Noir held out his hand, as an offering of some sort.  Ladybug stared at his gloved hand for few moments before swallowing and quietly voicing her concerns.

“What if you hate who I am under the mask?  What if I’m just a nobody?  What if I’m not good enough?”

_It almost sounds… as if she’s talking to herself._

“Not gonna happen.  Look.  I’m not sure who you see when you look in the mirror, but surely your reflection can’t be that bad.  Not when I see a beautiful, intelligent, caring, determined young lady,” Cat assured.

_Maybe I should stop talking and let her think.  Or maybe there’s just one more thing she needs to hear._

“And right now you’re showing me yet another side of you that I’ve never seen before.  A vulnerable side.  Do you think that’s making me see you as weak?  No.  It’s making me see you as more of a human than just a superhero.  And if you ask me, there’s nothing wrong with that.  Because at the end of the day, that’s what we are.  Humans.  Not just superheroes,” Cat Noir stated calmly, still holding out his hand.

_I should just be quiet and let her decide what she wants.  Forcing things any more won’t help.  It seems like she needs to find some sort of answer for herself._

Ladybug looked at his hand and seemed deep in thought.  She didn’t respond for what felt like an eternity, but finally, she spoke.

“You’re right…  And right now…  Right now you’re showing me a side of you that I’ve never seen before.  And I really, really like it,” she whispered.  “Where has this kind, considerate you been?  It just makes me wonder how much of this is real.”

_She prefers boring me?  She prefers Adrien?  That makes sense, I guess.  She’d rather talk to a human than a superhero.  But…  Is that really the answer she was searching for?  Or is there something else?_

“If this is what you prefer, then—”

“No pretending!  I… also want to know the real you,” Ladybug interrupted.

“Well, this is closer to how I act in my day-to-day life.  I just play the cheesy superhero because, well, I thought that would have a better chance of impressing you,” Cat Noir admitted with a laugh.

_I hope she doesn’t get mad and start thinking I’ve been lying to her or something._

Cat Noir, still holding out his hand, began to worry when Ladybug started to giggle.

“Silly boy.  Girls appreciate honesty, you know.  Not false bravado,” she laughed.

_She seems happier.  Is she laughing at my expense now or something?  Or…  Maybe…  Maybe she found what she was looking for._

“So…  Can we still…?”

Finally, Ladybug took Cat Noir’s hand and nodded.

“Today was pretty rough,” she admitted quietly, looking out over the city.  “Yet for some reason, all of the troubles of today led me to you.”

_Uh oh.  That doesn’t sound good._

“I had to give up on something that I’ve been holding on to for a long, long time.”

_Yikes.  Where did I go wrong this time?_

“I had to face myself and even see myself the way others see me.”

_Oh man.  This isn’t gonna end well._

“And you made me realize…”

_Here it comes._

“…that maybe I do have a reflection in the mirror after all,”

_Huh?_

“…that maybe I’m not invisible like I thought,”

_She listened?_

“…and that maybe that reflection isn’t quite as bad as I had thought.”

_And she believed me?_

“So…  Thanks, Cat Noir.  For all of your words tonight.  Even the bad jokes and ridiculous amount of cheesy greeting card phrases.”

Before Cat Noir had a chance to respond, Ladybug gave him a quick peck on the cheek, nothing horribly romantic.  More of a thank you than anything else.

_You’re welcome, Ladybug._

“Now, race me to the river.  Three!  Two!  One!  Go!”

Just like that, Ladybug was off towards the water, with Cat Noir chasing after her.  After all, perhaps it’s best if some things never change.


End file.
